San Francisco's 2023 restaurant outlook shows promise
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Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
2023 could be a big year for San Francisco's restaurant scene.
What's happening: The number of new food service businesses registering with the city is reaching pre-pandemic levels (more than 100 per month from June to October), which hopefully leads to a wave of new eateries and bars opening next year.
Why it matters: Our top-notch food and drink scene is one of the best parts of living in San Francisco, and adding even more great spots is exciting news for the year ahead.
- New registrations dipped during the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, but the consistent lift since this summer shows promise of a return to "normalcy" for the industry.
- Plus, notable new restaurants can help drive tourism and create more jobs.
What we're watching: The Chronicle recently released a list of anticipated restaurants opening in early 2023. They include:
- Copra, in Lower Pacific Heights, an Indian eatery taking over the space previously occupied by Dosa.
- Dumpling Club in the Mission.
- Piglet & Co., also in the Mission, serving Taiwanese street food.
- Les Elements, in the Tenderloin, focused entirely on desserts.
Other notable openings across the Bay Area include Poppy Bagels in Oakland, Luma Bar & Eatery in Petaluma, and Baekjeong in San Jose — a popular Korean barbecue chain with locations already in Los Angeles and New York.
What they're saying: "The past few years have been so hard for independent restaurants," Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, told Axios. She said the uptick in new restaurants reflects "an optimism about the ongoing recovery in our community."
The other side: San Francisco's chief economist, Ted Egan, told Axios that while he too is hopeful, he's also "mindful of the likelihood of an economic slowdown."
- Less money in people's wallets could mean less dining out, even if concerns about COVID-19 decline.
But, but, but: With all this talk about 2023, let's not forget about the wonderful dining experiences that we had this past year.
- The Chronicle's restaurant critics, Soleil Ho and Cesar Hernandez, last week disclosed their top new Bay Area restaurants for 2022, which included San Francisco spots like Mijote in the Mission, Noodle in a Haystack in the Richmond, and a Venezuelan pop-up called Andina.
💭 Nick's thought bubble: As for what I'm excited about in 2023, while it goes against my attempts to eat only vegan food, I can’t wait for Sandy's to debut this spring in the Haight. I'm a true sucker for a good muffuletta.